2018-19 Professional Learning Communities

Teaching and Learning: Content Cohorts ($325)

This community will provide the opportunity for teachers from the same disciplines to come together in six content cohorts: PK-2 Math and Science, 3-5 Math and Science, MS Life Science, MS Earth Science, MS Physical Science, and HS Earth Science. The content cohorts are open to all teachers within each respective discipline and grade-level. Those who use RiSE resources are also encouraged to attend their respective community cohort to discuss their success and challenges with colleagues, content experts, and RiSE staff. Teachers will meet 9am-12pm on four Saturdays throughout the school year. In-person participation is strongly encouraged, but opportunities to connect digitally will be available. Participating teachers will receive a stipend of $75 per 3-hour session and a certificate of contact hours will be sent after the last meeting.

Dates: September 8, November 3, January 19, March 9

Productive Talk ($550)

Productive Talk
Back by popular demand, but under a different name! We have taken the successful "Talk Science" program, adapted from the Inquiry Project at TERC, and broadened it to all STEM fields. This program supports teachers in leading productive, equitable conversations in their classroom. This practice helps students share, expand, and clarify their ideas, listen to others, explain their reasoning, and reason with others. This professional development includes classroom videos and a set of nine ready-to-practice talk moves.
There will be 5 evening meetings, preparing you to be a teacher-leader and to conduct six study groups within your school, district, or region. Participants will receive a stipend of $50 per 2-hour session and a certificate of contact hours will be sent after the last meeting. There will be five evening meetings and a release day. Locations TBD.

Meeting dates: September 13, October 11, January 10, February 7, March 7, March 26 & 27 (Snow Dates), April 4 (Release Day).

High School Collaborative (Free)

The RiSE Center believes in community-focused professional development with shared leadership. We like to bring educators together to share their individual expertise so that a rich collective expertise can emerge that helps everyone improve their own practice. This community is for high school teachers and will meet 2 times in the fall and 2 times in the spring. Participating teachers will receive a stipend of $50 per 2-hour session and a certificate of contact hours will be sent after the last meeting. Meetings will be held in Bangor, Falmouth, Farmington, Machias, Presque Isle, Oxford Hills, and Rockland, Maine. Please see the High School Collaborative web-page for the dates at each location (March 19 & 21 snow dates).

Affinity Groups ($200)

Would you like to suggest a topic for an Affinity Group?

Productive Talk

This community is for teachers who have had previous Talk Science training and are actively using it in their classrooms. There will be three evening meetings during Spring 2018, introducing tools to deepen the meaning of content concepts in discussion as well as taking the next steps beyond talking and into writing. Explore how to use reasoning and counterexamples to build meaning beyond grade level expectations. Participating teachers will receive a stipend of $75 per 3-hour session and a certificate of contact hours will be sent after the last meeting. Two Saturday meetings 9am-12pm - one fall one spring.

Dates: Oct 13, Feb 9

3D Printing

This community is for teachers that are interested in using a 3-D printer in their classrooms to support STEM lessons. There will be three evening meetings where teachers will be asked to work in common grade-level and content area teams to develop common use lessons for 3D printers to support NGSS-aligned or CCSS-aligned learning experiences for students. Teachers will then submit lessons or units to the Curriculum Modification Review Board in order to disperse materials to the greater community. Participating teachers will receive a stipend of $75 per 3-hour session and a certificate of contact hours will be sent after the last meeting. Two Saturday meetings 9am-12pm - one fall one spring.

Dates: Oct 13, Feb 9

K-8 Mathematics

Come work with other PK-8 teachers from across the state to strengthen your mathematics content knowledge, participate in inquiry activities, and discuss effective, research-based teaching strategies. RiSE Center faculty member Franzi Peterson will join us for these two meetings. Participating teachers will receive a stipend of $75 per 3-hour session and a certificate of contact hours will be sent after the last meeting. Two Saturday meetings 9am-12pm - one fall one spring.